The roofs of structures, such as buildings or houses, are constantly exposed to the environment which over time causes damage to the roofs and to the underlying structures. To prevent this damage, roofs are typically covered by a weatherproofing material. Tiles or shingles manufactured from a variety of materials, including wood and ceramic, are commonly selected as the preferred covering material. The tiles are generally attached to the roof in a horizontal pattern, with each alternating row being horizontally displaced by a percentage of a tile width. This pattern channels rain or snow away from the structure, and prevents moisture from getting under the tiles, where it can ultimately damage the structure. In addition to their weatherproof characteristics, some tiles are fire resistent. Another feature of wood or ceramic tile is that the arrangement can also be very attractive, forming a unique pattern of color to highlight the structure.
Despite these many advantages, tile roofs also have certain drawbacks. The biggest problem, is that the tile materials wear out due to constant exposure to the sun, wind, temperature variation and water. The tiles often become brittle or porous over time, wherein they lose their weatherproof characteristic. Replacement of the tiles is an often expensive proposition, since it is labor intensive to remove the old tiles and install the new ones. A second problem is that some of the materials, especially wood, can not be made fire resistent. Some communities have even attempted to ban the use of non-fire resistant materials for use on roofs. Because of these problems, owners of structures have long sought an improved roofing material.
Many of these problems can be solved through the use of a metal tile. Metal is far more durable than the previous roofing materials, and has superior fire resistance characteristics. However, metal tile roofs present two unique problems. First of all, a metal tile must generally be installed in rigid horizontal patterns, and can not easily be custom cut to fit. Adjacent tiles must be installed a fixed distance apart, and in near perfect vertical alignment. Thus, a roof having an irregular shape could not accept a metal tile, since the tiles could not be manipulated to cover the entire structure. A secondary problem with metal tile roofing systems is their appearance; while metal is an acceptable material for industrial structures, many homeowners would be reluctant to use metal, and prefer the more decorative aspects of wood or ceramic.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a metal tile roofing system which enables adjacent tiles to be oriented vertically and horizontally apart from each other, so as to adapt to uniquely shaped roofs. It would also be desirable to provide a metal tile roof material having an appearance with comparable aesthetic features as the conventional wood or ceramic tiles.